Why do GMAT Scores Go Down?

Question

Why Do GMAT Scores Drop AFTER You Start to Prep? I have seen many posts on GMAT Club, esp from those who recently started studying that instead of increasing, their GMAT Score dropped. That's crazy - right? Or at least illogical? Does that mean you are doing something wrong??? Not really - it is normal for scores to drop during the first month of prep . There are a few reasons for that: Your Coverage has Gaps It won't be for months but it may feel like that for a few weeks. There is a simple explanation - you start learning a new topic (which for GMAT is really a refresh of your high school knowledge) and the books or courses will likely cover a lot of it but by the time you retain it, something always gets lost. It is Ok to catch 10% of these things later but if you leave too much for "later", it will become an issue. How to fix it? As long as it does not go on for weeks, this is "normal". However, make sure you do a thorough check of your knowledge with a quiz after each chapter. Don't just assume you got it. Your goal should be 90% correct if you are looking for 700 score, 80% for 650 and 70% correct for a 600. Make sure you don't move on past the topic before you are certain that you have retained all you could. If you had an "a-ha"moment - write it down. Taking Tests too Early You can't expect to see score improvement after 2 weeks of studying. You simply have not learned enough for the Computer Adaptive Algorithm to notice it

moreover, you may face a different type/mix of questions on your practice test and thus your recent advancement in Algebra or Combinations may not be taken into account at all. How to fix it? Ideally, use targeted and timed practice with questions to spot check yourself rather than a full test or even a section of a test. Your test-taking strategies and perfecting that side of things should start after you are done with at least one section of the test. You Get the Concepts but you Can't Apply Them I hear about this issue very often - smart people know the material but they freeze or blank out on the test. The issue is usually the pressure. Everyone's performance goes down under pressure. How to fix it? Always take every question and every example in your course or books while being under pressure and while being timed. You will be doing yourself a disservice if you take it easy on you during prep. Anyone can solve GMAT questions without being timed. Always put pressure on yourself and always time and have a HARD STOP. Don't spend 30 mins on 10 questions but give yourself 18 or 20 mins on 10 questions and stick to that time and do answer all 10 questions. If you can't, then you need to figure out how to catch up because that is what is required of you on the test to get a 650+ score. P.S. Don't tell you can't do anything. One can always do something, you are just not willing to. You can memorize different question types, formulas, memorize checklists, etc. It is always possible to improve the studying approach. You Fit GMAT into Your Busy Schedule If you want a high score, you need to build your schedule around the GMAT. How to fix it? If GMAT is your Top Priority, it should take your top time on the schedule. Everything else should be secondary. You don't need to study for hours per day. Even 1.5-2 hrs per day is plenty with some extra time for reading in the evening perhaps. You definitely do not need to spend 4 hours per day and spending 4 hours at night after work is pretty worthless. That's why some of the in-person courses don't work out so well since people show up tired and exhausted after a day of work. Not sticking to a Strategy Getting a new strategy is like getting new shoes - no matter how good the shoes are, it will take time for you to wear them in and for them to stop rubbing. Similarly you have to practice your new approach/strategy and resist the urge to go back to your "old" way. It is also common for people who just adopted a new strategy such as a new timing strategy or a new RC Strategy to lose their confidence or feel like it is not working and change their strategy mid-stream. That's a costly mistake that will result in a score drop. Stretching Our Prep to Months or Years Another reason for scores drop is stretching the prep time to 6 or more months. I know, it sounds as though studying for 7 months would be better than prepping for 1 month (perhaps true) but studying for the GMAT for 3 months is actually better than for 7 months. The longer you prep, the more likely you will forget small points you picked up during your mistake analysis in week 3 of your 7-month journey. Unless you review your mistakes weekly, brush up on checklists, and regularly build up on what you have learned, there is no way your mind will retain all it has learned. Often, the longer you stretch it out, the lower the score

How to fix it? Commit to taking the GMAT within 3 months (that means 3.5 or 4 since there will be unexpected circumstances). Create a study schedule and stay on top of it. Don't stretch it out. Using a multitude of materials Less is more when it comes to GMAT materials - there are a lot of things out there and many are good! There are great books from MGMAT, Veritas Prep, and Kaplan. There are also many good GMAT courses but taking 2 redundant courses or using 2 sets of books or a course + a book set is analogous to riding 2 bicycles at the same time. It is not productive. It may seem as though it is, but save your time, money, and energy. Don't get too many things. Start simple and branch out only if you need to. How to fix it? Commit to your choice of book or course. (OG is a must have but you must have but it is only a question collection, so make sure you get something else, other than OG to learn stuff from). Read some debriefs and see what others have used for their prep and see if you can relate to any of those test takers. Their tips may help or not - move on if not and pick up something that resonates with you and your personality. Interesting Conclusions: Learning new strategies takes time. Therefore - if you have very little time to prep, you may as well do some basic prep (figure out question types such as quick DS overview), and don't worry too much about strategies since you won't have much time to implement them. Never do/try/attempt anything new on the Test Day. Yes - really. Strategies in Prep Courses and Books are written by experts. If they are not working for you, it is like NOT their fault. Follow strategies and recommendations EXACTLY as they are written. Don't take tests until you cover most/all topics that specific CAT tests or otherwise you are wasting your time and a CAT. Instead, consider doing a target practice such as using a question bank on the forum or GMAT Club quizzes . It is important to measure your progress and evaluate yourself regularly (e.g. every week with quizzes). It helps stay motivated and to see progress or to catch issues. Don't move on if you still have issues. Helpful Resources: https://gmatclub.com/forum/live-chat-to ... 79401.html - how to deal with test day anxiety https://gmatclub.com/forum/experts-topi ... 46658.html - a different take on why scores may drop

AkshdeepS · Answer

Great insight straight from the master himself...Thanks bb...Seems every word fits into my story or in anyone's who is struggling..Really appreciate your effort to post such a great post.

Cheers.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Great thoughts, BB! Thank you for sharing!

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